80s Meets Hip-Hop

Tory Lanez!! Amazing!! I saw him in concert a few years back after his release of I Told You and that was a much different singer than I’m hearing in 2021. Even if you aren’t into rap, his new album Alone at Prom is 80s + The Weeknd + a bit of a Post Malone melody. Stemming from inspirations from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Teen Wolf, this record is one of my favorites of 2021.

“Lady of Namek” is undoubtedly my favorite track on this album. I think this song is the best at mirroring the 80s vibe. Lanez’s iconic melody reminds me of The Weeknd especially when he sings “baby, how many times have I tried to play it safe, … if you can trust me, we’ll be alright.” I get the 80s pop aesthetic behind the words “Your heart to my heart, come place it against it.” The guitar riff in the back is my favorite part - it almost makes me want to do.. The shimmy? Or something? The vocals are incredible and his voice is so smooth and entrancing.

The very next song, “Pluto’s Last Comet” sounds awfully similar to several 80s hits - “Never Gonna Give You Up” sticks in my head as having the same melodies. That just further explains my love for this song. I grew up jamming to 80s (loving Duran Duran the most, of course). Even the synthesizer makes the same beat and sound as Rick Astley’s 1987 hit. For all you boomers reading - this song's for you! You can be a Tory Lanez fan too!

“The Color Violet” is another one of my favorites because I just love the consistent range throughout the entire song. You can tell he wrote this almost as a rap song, and then threw a good rock beat behind it. The lyrics move fast and methodical, but they aren’t like your typical rap song. He talks about driving “1-5-5 with my whole foot on the dash.” My favorite line goes “the after party was on Wilson and 73rd.” The way he draws out ‘se-ve-n-ty thirrrrd’ just makes my ears dance. And, the saxophone to end is the cherry on top.

“‘87 Stingray” is the song that is giving me all the Post Malone vibes. From the very start, his intro reminds me of “Saint-Tropez” from Posty’s Hollywood’s Bleeding record from 2019. They both show off their pretty voices with these initial chords. Although artificial (I think… I can’t confirm this), the guitar is what really gives this song its oldies sound. His chord “Whoa whoa, baby I’m on my way” strangely reminds me of “Things Can Only Get Better” by Howard Jones.

Have you heard “Easy Lover” By Philip Bailey and Phil Collins? If you listen closely, you can hear this song in Lanez’s “Last Kiss of Nebulon” at about 0:28. This song is fast paced and up beat. The main influence I hear, however, is “Beat It’ by MJ. Lanez’s fast transition from “You said you loved me, you don’t love me, no, baby” to “It’s in my heart, it’s in my head” reminds me of the 1982 hit when Michael Jackson sings “The Fire’s in their eyes and the words are really clear” to “So beat it.”

These verses are so similar that I can’t help but think MJ had a major influence on this album. I hear him in almost every song.

There are a couple of songs in this record I could do without, but the majority of this album has me rockin out most of the time. Jammers, if you’ve listened to this album, what do you think?